JUPITER, Fla. - For all his offensive shortcomings - and there remain plenty - Danny Espinosa has long since established himself as an elite defensive infielder. The vast majority of the work he did to build that reputation has come at second base, but those who have followed the 28-year-old throughout his career know he has always fancied himself as a shortstop first. With each passing day this spring, everyone else is understanding why that has been the case all along. Given a chance to be...

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Orioles 16, Red Sox 8 Recap: Mark Trumbo had a two-run double in the first and delivered another run with a grounder in the fourth, giving him 16 RBIs this spring to go with five home runs. J.J. Hardy hit his third home run in three days, a two-run shot in the third inning. Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Audry Perez homered off Roenis Elias in a six-run sixth inning. Yovani Gallardo allowed five runs in the second inning, including Jackie Bradley Jr.'s two-run shot....

NATIONALS QUICK WRAP Score: Nationals 7, Cardinals 0 Recap: After torrential rain and lightning washed out Friday night's game against the Marlins, the Nationals returned to Roger Dean Stadium today face the complex's other tenants, and then proceeded to drub the Cardinals. Tanner Roark and relievers Felipe Rivero, Sean Burnett, Matt Belisle and Aaron Laffey combined to shut out a St. Louis lineup that included Matt Carpenter, Kolten Wong, Matt Holliday and Yadier Molina. At the plate, the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - You want the good news first or the bad news? Mark Trumbo continues to swing a hot bat, producing a two-run double in the first inning that raised his average to .327 and his RBI total to 15. Trumbo, who also has five home runs this spring, scored on Pedro Alvarez's single into right-center field. The at-bat was impressive. Trumbo fought off a couple of inside pitches, fouling them off, before going to right-center off Red Sox starter Justin Haley. A 3-0 Orioles lead dissolved...

JUPITER, Fla. - Friday night's rainout threw a wrench into the Nationals' pitching plans, but they hope to get everyone back on schedule today, with Tanner Roark pushed back to face the Cardinals here at Roger Dean Stadium and Joe Ross kept back in Viera to pitch in a minor league game. It's not an ideal situation, but manager Dusty Baker said the club couldn't afford to push every member of the rotation back, lest everyone no longer be lined up properly for the season's first week. "This...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles plan on making their next round of cuts before today's game against the Red Sox. They have 44 players in camp, including eight non-roster invitees. Matt Wieters will catch in an intrasquad game Sunday at Twin Lakes Park. He hasn't been behind the plate since March 12 due to right elbow soreness. Wieters threw to the bases this morning on the Earl Weaver "Little" Field, with bench coach John Russell and head athletic trainer Richie Bancells paying close...

JUPITER, Fla. - Hello once again from Roger Dean Stadium, where the Nationals will attempt to play this afternoon against the Cardinals after getting torrentially rained out last night against the Marlins. The good news: The sun is out and the field is dry. For now. Tanner Roark unfortunately had to make two round trips on the bus from Viera, unable to pitch last night but back today to get his six innings and 100 pitches in. A handful of other players who already were scheduled to play both...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles catcher Matt Wieters will throw to the bases today in potentially the final step before he's cleared to move back behind the plate. Manager Buck Showalter and bench coach John Russell met with Wieters yesterday to formulate a plan. Wieters hasn't caught since March 12, leaving the game after the first inning with right elbow soreness. "We're moving towards it quickly," Wieters said. "We're going to throw to bases today, see how it goes and go from there. Right...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Yovani Gallardo makes his fourth spring start today and his third in the Grapefruit League, as the Orioles host the Red Sox at 1:05 p.m. Gallardo allowed two runs and six hits in four innings Monday in a minor league game at Twin Lakes Park. He's surrendered eight runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings in two starts against the Phillies. Today's game would be a good time to dial it up with the opener only nine days away. Manager Buck Showalter may announce his opening day...

JUPITER, Fla. - This week's Saturday Q&A comes not from Viera, but from Jupiter, where the Nationals were supposed to play back-to-back games ... until last night's game was canceled amid one of the most intense, prolonged thunderstorms I've ever experienced in person. Seriously, it poured with massive lightning and thunder for a good two hours straight. Anyway, it's a new day, and hopefully it will be dry enough for the Nats to get in this afternoon's game against the Cardinals at...